An Arkansas prison chaplain is now in hot water after he was accused of pressuring three inmates at a women's state prison to provide him sexual favours. Kenneth L. Dewitt, the chaplain in question was charged last week with 50 counts of third-degree assault.
According to the Daily Beast, Dewitt has a link to the Duggar family from "19 Kids and Counting" in the sense that he is also deeply inspired by the teachings of Bill Gothard, an influential minister who is close to the large Christian family and was also accused of sexual charges by as many as 30 women.
Gothard was the one who counselled eldest son Josh Duggar after he molested several underage girls when he was a teenager, including his younger sisters Jill and Jessa.
Dewitt was the chaplain at the McPherson Unit in Newport, Arkansas, which is located 90 miles northeast of Little Rock. His inappropriate encounters with the three inmates reportedly began in January 2013 and lasted until September 2014.
The Associated Press reported that Dewitt even gave the three women schedules for sex. "One inmate was called to his office early Sunday mornings, another early on Monday and the third was called in early on Wednesday," the news agency shared.
It is considered against the law in Arkansas for inmates to consent to sexual relationships, and those relationships are considered as third-degree sexual assault.
Dewitt is not the only one under fire for his sexual assault cases but also the entire McPherson Unit. The Department of Justice has launched its own investigation on the prison facility concerning sexual assault.
"The department received numerous allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment of prisoners by multiple members of McPherson Unit staff," the DOJ said in a press release back in June. "Allegations include staff engaging in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with prisoners; exchanging commissary money for sexual favours; and inappropriately watching prisoners while they shower or change clothes, commenting on their private parts and, at times, taking photos or video for reasons unrelated to correctional goals."
